Three Data Centers May Undercut Regional Climate Goals

Three major data center projects planned or underway around El Paso, Texas, and southern New Mexico could undermine climate plans adopted by both the state and city, which did not account for the facilities’ impact. The Oracle, Meta and proposed Fort Bliss projects are driven by rising demand for artificial intelligence and are expected to rely on their own power plants, generating millions of tons of greenhouse gas emissions when fully built. The developments also intensify concerns about water supplies, household electricity costs and air quality, as local communities weigh the effects of rapid data center growth against climate goals.